What is Product Sense?

Introduction: What Is "Product Sense"?

"Product sense" is one of those phrases you'll hear in nearly every product management interview, performance review, or leadership panel, yet rarely see properly defined.

It's also sometimes referred to as product intuition or business sense. Often described as an intuition, a gut feeling, or even a superpower, all this doesn't make it very actionable, does it?

But if you've ever wondered why some product managers consistently deliver features that feel effortless, delightful, and obvious in hindsight, they likely have strong product sense. It's a core skill for product managers.

When Meta (Facebook) first introduced its "Product Sense" interview round, it marked this trait as central to PM success. Yet many candidates (and even practitioners) struggle to understand what it actually involves.

So… what is it, actually? If you're in the product management world, you probably heard these definitions:

• Lenny Rachitsky (Product thinker, ex-Airbnb PM) ties product sense to emotional resonance: "Product sense is the instinctive ability to understand what makes a product useful and lovable — before any data validates it."

• Shreyas Doshi (former PM at Stripe, Twitter, and Google) defines: "Product sense is the ability to intuit what a good product looks like, what users want, and what decisions will lead to long-term success — even when you don't have perfect data."

• Julie Zhuo (Former VP of Product Design at Facebook) emphasises empathy and judgment: "Product sense is the ability to see the world from the user's perspective, to identify what problems are worth solving, and to intuitively understand what solutions will feel simple, useful, and delightful."

A Working Definition of Product Sense

After reviewing perspectives from top PMs, product coaches, and interviewers, here's a synthesized definition:

Unlike hard skills (like SQL or roadmapping), product sense is more like judgment: the why behind product decisions.

Going one step further, we can simplify this to:

How It Differs from Related Skills

• Not just UX design: While good design is part of it, product sense is broader: it encompasses why something is worth building, considering the market, business and tech.
• Not just data literacy: Data can validate product sense, but it can't create it. Intuition fills the gap before numbers arrive.
• Not just business acumen: Business goals guide you, but product sense ensures you're building value, not just features.

The Components of Product Sense

Product sense is a combination of five intertwined abilities:

📈 Why Product Sense Is Crucial in Tech

When the market moves fast and users' expectations evolve even faster, product sense becomes a critical differentiator.

🔍 Case Studies

💡 Can You Develop Product Sense?

Absolutely. Like musical talent or athletic ability, some people may have a natural advantage, but we can't expect everyone to be Steve Jobs. The good news is that product sense can be developed with intention and, most importantly, continuous practice.

That last part is key: product sense is not static. It evolves as markets change, user expectations shift, and product patterns come and go. And like any skill, it fades if you don't actively use it.

Why Are You Finding It Hard to Learn Product Sense?

Unfortunately, traditional learning paths rarely teach product sense well. It's typically built over years of hands-on experience, through shadowing experienced professionals, receiving coaching or mentorship, attending workshops, or pursuing programs like an MBA.

Most courses stick to the theory: they tell you what to consider when making product decisions and offer a few examples. But very few provide structured, ongoing practice, which is essential. Product sense isn't learned by reading about it; it's developed by repeatedly exercising judgment in real or simulated product scenarios.

It's also worth noting the limitations of AI when it comes to building product sense. While AI tools can help validate assumptions or simulate scenarios, they can't evaluate truly novel ideas. If your thinking is innovative, AI won't recognize its value, because it's trained on the past, not the future. This is where human judgment is irreplaceable.

And if that practice isn't continuous, the skill fades. Product sense must be maintained through regular, intentional use, just like any craft.

Strategies to Develop and Continuously Improve Product Sense

1. 1. Do Product Teardowns Weekly

   Pick a product. Ask: What problem is this solving? Who's the user? Why this?

2. 2. Build and Ship Small Products

   Nothing teaches product judgment like feedback from real users. Talk to users regularly.

3. 3. Study Failures and Wins

   Analyse what did or didn't work and why.

4. 4. Surround Yourself with Product Thinkers

   Slack groups, Twitter, or the MOATCRAFT™ Discord community — constant exposure sharpens your instincts.

🏁 Conclusion: Why Product Sense is a Superpower

In an age dominated by A/B testing, machine learning, and limitless user data, product sense remains the builder's edge — the intuitive compass that reveals where the real problem lies, what solution feels right, and what shouldn't be built at all.

This is becoming even more crucial as new roles like the Product Engineer emerge: developers who don't just ship code, but think deeply about user experience, trade-offs, and product outcomes. Product sense is foundational for the successful Product Engineers of 2030, that will orchestrate AI to build.