The shift that will define 2026
A year-end note on where product is headed
Every year, we step back and ask the same question: what is the state of the product conversation?
We do this by synthesizing tens of thousands of signals from the 600,000+ product leaders who engage with Products That Count.
This year, one shift stands out.
2026 is the year the Product Alpha Effect™ goes mainstream. Product is no longer just how companies execute. It’s becoming the primary driver of value creation.
Here’s what’s changing:
Boards are relying less on lagging sales metrics and more on product signals like activation, usage depth, and workflow pull-through.
CPO scope continues to expand into go-to-market, data, and business ownership, with outcomes replacing output as the measure of success.
Talent is the constraint. AI-fluent, domain-deep, full-stack PMs are pulling teams ahead.
Trust has become the moat, with security and governance designed into products from day one.
Product Builders are rising, collapsing handoffs between product, design, and engineering to move faster.
I captured the full 2026 State of the Product Conversation in a longer piece if you want to go deeper, and I’d love to continue the discussion with you there on LinkedIn.
Elevate your craft with our free in-person and online events designed to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.
On January 7 (virtual): Problem-Solving, Ownership, and LLM Judgment in the AI Era. Join the conversation.
On January 8 (virtual): The 2026 AI Product Lifecycle Playbook for High-Velocity Teams. Join us live.
On January 22: The Product Speaker Series for New York. RSVP here.
On January 29: The Product Speaker Series for San Francisco. Get your ticket.
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