We recently secured funding for our AI product (because who isn't building an AI product right now?), and my first thought wasn't about KPIs or go-to-market strategies. Instead, I recalled standing backstage at AdLib Theatre, that familiar pre-show flutter in my stomach, waiting for the audience's suggestion to launch our next improv scene.
Funny how life rhymes.
Both securing funding and improvising share that electric moment of possibility. Sure, there's a plan but also the exhilarating uncertainty of "what happens next."
It's familiar territory for an accidental PM with an improv background. I've journeyed from performing in late-night shows with more cast members than audience members to running an entire theater operation. The skills needed at each stage were drastically different. When you're just starting, it's all about raw creativity and taking risks. When scaling, suddenly you're thinking about sustainable structures and systems that can support growth without crushing the creative spirit.
Sound familiar, product people?
The same transformation happens from early product development to funded initiatives ready to scale. What worked in the experimental phase isn't the same toolkit for systematic scaling. This doesn't mean abandoning creativity. It means channeling it differently. In both worlds, I’ve asked, “How do you maintain that creative spark while building something that can last?”.
"Yes, and..." might be improv's most famous principle, but it's often misunderstood. It's not about agreeing with everything. It’s the reality set before you before building on it. In product management, this means truly hearing stakeholder concerns rather than dismissing them.
The art isn't in avoiding objections. It’s incorporating them into a stronger solution. Just like when your scene partner suddenly declares they're actually your long-lost twin. You don't ignore it; you integrate it and make the scene richer for it.
With our new AI product there’s so much we don’t know. Features that users want? Not sure yet. What’s the cost? Working on it. Unknown unknowns. Yup, we've got those to.
To pretend we have all the answers would be detrimental. Instead we’ve built a process to help discover and remain flexible. This approach mirrors structured improv formats like the Harold or Armando. These formats don't dictate content but provide guardrails within which creativity can flourish safely. The structure doesn't restrict and instead removes the pressure of figuring out everything all at once.
The stakes are undeniably higher with funding. Like moving from a black box theater to a main stage production, everything becomes more visible. More people are watching. Expectations rise.
One way to handle this is to implement clear metrics. These metrics aren't just for reporting to stakeholders. They're our stage directions. It lets us know if we're still telling a coherent story as we scale. And just like in theater, preparation becomes more important, not less, as you scale.
I'll end with the same thought I shared recently. Sometimes the best product strategies, like the best improv scenes, start with "Yes, I don't know where this is going, and I trust the process to figure it out." Uncertainty is never going away so best to create an environment where uncertainty isn't a bug – it's a feature.