Stakeholder Management When Everyone Outranks You

Early in my career at Keka, I proposed killing a feature that the CEO personally championed. I was 24 years old, a junior PM, and absolutely terrified.

The feature in question: a "smart" dashboard that auto-generated reports based on user behavior. The CEO loved it. Engineering spent 6 months building it. Sales made promises to prospects.

Usage after launch: 3%.

How to push back when you're not in charge

Lead with shared goals, not disagreement: I didn't say "this feature is bad." I said "We all want higher DAU. Here's what's actually driving engagement, and here's what isn't." The conversation became about the goal, not about who was right.

Bring receipts: Numbers, customer quotes, competitive analysis. Not opinions. When the CEO asked "how do you know that?" I had specific data from 15 customer interviews and usage analytics. Evidence beats seniority.

Offer alternatives, not just criticism: I proposed three options: pivot the feature, sunset it gracefully, or double down with a hypothesis. I had a recommendation (sunset) but gave the decision-maker agency.

Pick your battles wisely: I didn't fight every battle. I chose this one because the opportunity cost was clear—engineering hours on a failed feature meant we couldn't build what users actually wanted. Save your capital for decisions that matter.

Make it about learning, not failure: "This taught us users don't want auto-generated reports—they want control. That insight will make the next thing better." Frame it as discovery, not defeat.

The result

The CEO agreed to sunset the feature. More importantly, he started inviting me to earlier product discussions. Trust is earned in moments like these.

For junior PMs feeling powerless: you have more leverage than you think. Just be prepared, be specific, and be solution-oriented.