The Three Levels of Product Work
"Optics creates awareness of the impact and execution. It creates energy." — Shreyas Doshi
What It Is
Product work happens at three levels: Impact (Business outcomes), Execution (Getting things done), and Optics (Internal awareness). Conflicts arise when one person argues from one level while another is looking at a different level.
When To Use
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During product reviews when there's unexplained tension
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When communicating with leadership and feeling misunderstood
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When team morale is low despite hard work
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To diagnose why rational arguments fail to convince
The Three Levels
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ IMPACT │ │ (Business outcomes, metrics) │ │ "Customers hate it" "Revenue is down" │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ EXECUTION │ │ (Getting things done, shipping) │ │ "It's hard to build" "Technical debt" │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ OPTICS │ │ (Internal awareness, perception) │ │ "No one knows" "Team morale is low" │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Core Principles
- Know Your Level
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CEOs default to Impact
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PMs often get stuck in Execution details
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ICs frequently neglect Optics
- Value Optics
Internal optics isn't just "politics"—it creates energy, awareness, and trust. Without it, good work goes unnoticed and resources get cut.
- Switch Contexts
To resolve conflict, explicitly identify which level the other person is operating on and match it.
How To Apply
STEP 1: Listen for Level Indicators └── Impact: "customers", "revenue", "metrics" └── Execution: "timeline", "resources", "technical" └── Optics: "perception", "visibility", "awareness"
STEP 2: Diagnose Mismatch └── "I'm explaining delays (Execution)" └── "CEO is asking about customer complaints (Impact)"
STEP 3: Translate Your Message └── Reframe your point in their level's language └── Connect Execution constraint to Impact consequence
STEP 4: Bridge Proactively └── "We're 2 weeks behind (Execution), which means we'll miss holiday revenue (Impact)"
Common Mistakes
❌ Dismissing "Optics" as negative or political
❌ Only communicating in your own default level
❌ Assuming rational arguments in one level will resonate in another
Real-World Example
A PM explaining delays due to technical debt (Execution) vs. a CEO asking why customer support tickets are spiking (Impact) — they're talking past each other.
Source: Shreyas Doshi, Lenny's Podcast