Lessons from helping teams do more with less.
Three questions to ask anytime you join a new team/company as a product person.
I’ve been exploring ways to apply product thinking to new spaces, including my recent work with nonprofits. These organizations are deeply committed to their missions and often work with limited resources to make a meaningful impact.
But I’ve noticed a recurring challenge: while focusing on serving others, they often struggle to optimize their tools, processes, and data.
I’ve learned that helping teams make the most of what they have starts with asking the right questions. Three questions you can ask upfront will help you quickly understand the current state and provide a foundation for identifying opportunities to drive meaningful improvement.
1. What is actually working (and what’s just noise)?
In most companies (nonprofits especially), I’ve seen a tendency to buy tools and platforms without fully using them. The same happens in product teams - shiny new tools get adopted, but many remain underutilized.
When starting in a new role or connecting with a new team, ask: Which tools and processes are actively helping us achieve our goals?
This question isn’t just about cutting costs - it’s about understanding which tools genuinely drive value and which are creating noise.
By identifying what works and what doesn’t, you can focus your energy on optimizing the tools that support your team’s success and avoid wasting resources on systems that no one uses effectively.
It’s also a great way to identify where processes need streamlining to better align with your team’s priorities.
2. Are we solving the right problems?
Nonprofits can sometimes fall into the trap of focusing on activities that don’t directly support their mission. Similarly, product teams can get caught up in solving problems that aren’t the most critical.
When you’re new, ask: Do the projects we’re working on align with our broader goals and user needs?
This question helps uncover whether the team’s efforts drive impact or add to the noise.
It can highlight areas where priorities have drifted and ensure that resources are allocated to the most meaningful work. Asking this upfront provides clarity and helps you identify where you can add the most immediate value by aligning work with the team’s core mission.
3. Are our teams empowered to do their best work?
I’ve noticed that nonprofit teams often struggle with unclear processes or overlapping tools, which can lead to frustration and inefficiency. Teams in product roles can face similar roadblocks.
Ask: Do people feel equipped to do their best work? If not, what’s holding them back?
This question helps surface hidden obstacles that may not be immediately obvious. It gives you a lens into the team’s frustration and where inefficiencies lie.
Addressing these bottlenecks early will build trust with your new squad/client and create an environment where the team can focus on high-impact work without unnecessary distractions.
It’s a simple yet powerful way to set the stage for meaningful improvements.
Final Thoughts
Asking the right questions is often the key to uncovering what drives value and empowering teams to make meaningful progress. Starting with clarity in nonprofits or product teams can unlock opportunities to do more with less.
Have you recently started a new product role or helped someone navigate their first few months? What questions did you ask (or wish you’d asked) to better understand your environment?
Feel free to share all of your tricks of the trade in the comments down below.
Until next week,
Mike @
