Sometimes You Need to Let Them Go (And Sometimes You Need to Let Yourself Go)

Welcome to another episode of “What’s Inside My Mind.” Alex here, and today we’re talking about letting go—both other people and yourself.

The Story They Saw

I’m a product manager. I was a company owner, a startup founder. The company was sold for a lot of money. We did it! That’s what the rest of the team saw. That’s what the audience saw.

But here’s the reality: I also had hard times. I’m still having them.

The Product-Engineering Love Story

Let me tell you about the relationship between product and engineering. It’s a strange love, isn’t it?

Chapter One: My First Company

In my company, we had issues when we doubled the team size after being acquired. When you double your team, you face two challenges:

1. Maintaining company culture
2. Hiring amazing talent

Our tech stack wasn’t solid, so we hired very talented engineers. They started having strong opinions about the architecture. We tried to follow them, but honestly, I wasn’t good enough to manage that transition well.

Eventually, I left the company. The migration to the new architecture never finished. Those engineers also left. I took it personally—asking myself, “How can I do better next time?”

But I was always Alex.

Chapter Two: The $40M Business with 2 Engineers

Then came another round at another company. I was a senior product manager, energetic and opinionated. I was responsible for a $37+ million annual run rate business with only two people—literally.

We needed more engineers. We hired some. They weren’t good—not good at all. I remember checking their code and saying, “I’m sorry, but this is wrong.”

The response? “We need to provide them an extension period.”

An extension period for what? They’d been there six months without writing a meaningful line of code.

Meanwhile, I was creating roadmaps. My roadmap was growing, but the company wasn’t delivering features. I was so frustrated.

But I was always Alex.

The Breaking Point

Long story short: they fired me. It was a very American conversation: “Alex, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong, but priorities changed…”

They said my roadmap wasn’t good. I asked, “Can you tell me specifically what’s wrong?”

Never got an answer.

Plot twist: After I left, new PMs reached out asking about my PRDs because the company was still following my roadmap.

Chapter Three: Finding the Right Fit

At my current company, it was initially the same story. High PM turnover. But I accepted the challenge because I really liked the culture.

After less than a year, we’re in way better shape. But it took time. We had to rotate people.

The Wisdom I Want to Share

1. Don’t Take It Personally

It’s a job. It’s not your life. You still have a life—that’s where you should spend your effort.

2. Sometimes It’s Not About You

Maybe you have amazing ideas, but the company is too political. Maybe your ideas don’t fit the company’s direction. That’s fine.

3. Sometimes You Need to Let People Go

They might not be a good fit with the company culture. They might need to leave.

4. Sometimes You Need to Let Yourself Go

You need to change companies. Period.

You can’t stay in the same company forever. At some point, you’ll find your pace. But when you stop recognizing room for improvement, when everything feels stale—that’s when you need to leave.

Because when there’s:

• No chaos to organize
• Nothing to optimize
• No room for improvement
• No space for you

That’s time to find a new opportunity. That’s time to motivate yourself.

The Final Word

I want to express gratitude for all the people I’ve worked with—good or bad, I don’t care. You’ve all taught me something.

And if you’re working for a company where you’re not feeling good right now, I have a wish for you:

Go find a place that actually makes you better — as a professional, and as a person.