The context

Nina had just been promoted to Chief Product Officer at a founder-led edtech company. She already led product management, education, customer support, and most of the customer lifecycle, from conversion and retention to renewals and win-backs.

Then the founders asked whether she’d take on marketing too. It would put the entire customer journey, from first click to renewal, under one leader. It was a vote of confidence and a chance to shape growth strategy and brand storytelling. But it would also bring her to eight direct reports, add a discipline she’d never run, and pull time from the early-stage innovation work she loved most.

The advice

Nina talked it through with a group of fellow product executives who had expanded their own roles and reshaped their teams to make room.

• Ask why first. Is the change meant to fix a performance problem, align product and marketing, or just give marketing a home as the founders step back? The answer changes what success looks like.
• Count mental space, not just calendar time. Leading another function means constant context switching. Protect the headspace you need to lead strategically.
• Build a layer before you add a function. Several peers had promoted a strong PM to lead the product team day to day while keeping regular check-ins. That frees up capacity without losing sight of the work.
• Adjust how you manage, not just how much. Tailor 1:1 frequency to each person’s needs, and use regular team feedback to see where people need more support.
• Spread innovation out. Instead of holding on to R&D personally, distribute it across teams and stay involved at the strategic level.
• Decide what you actually want. Bigger scope can open future doors, but the choice should also reflect the work that energizes her and how she wants to spend her time.
• Test before you commit. With no urgency, an interim or dotted-line arrangement would let her try the structure while strengthening her product team’s independence.

The outcome

Nina left with a clearer set of questions to bring back to the founders, a plan to build a stronger layer under her before taking on more, and a lower-risk path forward: a phased transition she could test instead of an all-or-nothing reorg.

Why it worked

The peers had made the same kind of leap, so they talked about the hidden costs, not just the upside.

They separated the offer from the motive behind it, which gave her better questions for the founders.

They gave her a third option besides yes or no.

The broader point

A bigger role can look like an obvious yes. The leaders who thrive in it are the ones who decide what they want first, and build the team to support it before taking it on.

The advice might seem obvious now. Having peers to act on it with is what made the difference.