On April 26, 1986, reactor No. 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, causing the world’s worst nuclear disaster ever.

Some 23 years later, HBO created its award-winning miniseries on the events, attempting to shed light on the less-told stories of Chernobyl. Throughout the miniseries, it remains unclear what actually caused the explosion. The operating staff of the power plant keeps saying, “This shouldn’t have happened.”

In episode 5 (the last one), the answers are finally revealed, and we all understand what happened there and how the reactor exploded despite all the safety mechanisms.

Now, it sounds like I am an expert in nuclear reactions or as if I have read and dived into the story at a much deeper level. Neither is true.

I’m only able to talk about reactors so naturally, and more importantly, claim to understand what caused the explosion because episode 5 of Chernobyl is a masterpiece.

Think about the amazing thing they did (no spoilers, I promise): They were able to explain, in simple words that anyone can understand, how nuclear power plants work, how this specific reactor works, and what chain of events had led to the explosion.

Have you ever been told, “[Your product] is not rocket science”? Well, in Chernobyl’s case, it was literally science! (nuclear and not rocket in this case, but it’s close enough). And yet, they found a way to make us understand it in less than an hour.

This clarity and simplification is exactly what product leaders and managers strive for in their own communication – taking complex situations, concepts, and constraints and making them accessible and compelling to a wide range of stakeholders.

If only it was that simple!

Everyone knows communication is important for product people. But we are often so immersed in our product that we tend to forget not everyone else is as knowledgeable about it as we are, and explaining these complex concepts could be tricky even to ourselves. 

Here are a few guiding principles that will help you communicate clearly and effectively. 

If you want to dive deeper, this is just one of the topics we discuss and practice in the Product Leadership Launchpad, so feel free to take a look.

Explain Your Product Top-Down

When you try to explain your product to someone else, and you are still immersed in the details, it is very difficult for the other person to keep track of what you are saying. It is like describing a cute cat’s photo by explaining which pixel has which color. This approach, while technically accurate, fails to convey the essence of what makes the image compelling or relevant.

It should be the other way around: First, say it’s a cat. Then, say it’s cute, and describe what it’s doing and where. Only then we can start talking about the details. This top-down approach provides context and creates a framework for understanding, allowing your audience to grasp the big picture before diving into specifics.

Most people understand better when they learn things top-down, not bottom-up. This is simply how our brains are wired — give us the bigger picture first, and then dive (gradually) into the details. This cognitive preference is rooted in our natural tendency to seek patterns and overall meaning before focusing on individual elements.

As you dive into the details, it’s important to help people keep track of where we are at compared to the bigger picture. So, in the cat’s example, after we have explained that we want to create a picture of a cute cat lying in its owner’s lap and looking out the window, we can talk about the different parts of the picture: Now let’s describe the cat’s head. Here are its general characteristics, and if we want, we can dive deeper into the left ear and its specifics. However, the listener would have a clear image in his mind of where this left ear exactly is and how it is embedded in the bigger picture.

Likewise, when you talk about your product, roadmap, process, or any other complex matter, you want to start at the top: What is it? What are we trying to achieve? Why are we doing this?

Then, break the solution down into components: We have three modules, and this is how they work together. 

Only now it makes sense to dive into the specifics of each module, because your audience understands your overall thinking and the role each component plays within it, and the details come with a proper context at all times.

This approach also allows for better engagement and making sure people haven’t lost track of what you are talking about. Before you dive into the next layer, stop and ask if people have questions. This is done more easily in live presentations than in written communication, but you can do it there as well. For example, share the details only of the top two layers and then say that you want to align on them first before you move on to the next part.

Remember, as a product leader, your goal isn’t just to convey information but to create understanding and enthusiasm. By structuring your explanations from the top down, you’re not just describing a product – you’re telling its story in a way that resonates and inspires.

Consider Your Audience

Explaining things top-down also helps in maintaining flexibility in your communication. Depending on your audience’s reactions and level of interest, you can adjust the depth of your explanation. If they’re grasping the concept quickly, you can delve deeper. If they seem overwhelmed, you can stay at a higher level without losing the essence of your message. This adaptability is crucial in product leadership, where you often need to communicate with diverse stakeholders, from technical teams to non-technical executives.

But how can you tell? How do you know if the bigger picture is big enough? Or perhaps it’s too big? Where should you start? These questions highlight the importance of audience awareness in effective product communication.

Here’s a piece of advice I got early in my career and have been using on a daily basis for over two decades now: Whatever level of knowledge you think your audience has, assume two levels less and start from there. So you need to see what your gut feeling is, then put a very serious buffer on top of it. This approach ensures that you’re not leaving anyone behind and provides a solid foundation for more complex discussions if needed.

This strategy, by the way, helps overcome more than pure knowledge gaps. Think about the many times you need to explain your product to people who already know it, and they still have a hard time understanding what you mean. It usually happens because there is a “memory gap” (they know it but don’t remember all the details as well as you do) or an “attention gap” (they know everything, but they were just out of another meeting, and they don’t have the proper context when they listen to you).

By starting with a broader, more basic explanation, you’re not just accommodating those who might be less familiar with your product or topic of discussion. You’re also providing a refresher for those who know it well but might not have all the details at the forefront of their minds. This approach respects the cognitive load of your audience and acknowledges that even knowledgeable individuals might benefit from a quick recap.

Moreover, this method allows you to gauge your audience’s current level of understanding and engagement. As you present the bigger picture, you can observe reactions and adjust accordingly. Are they nodding in recognition? You can move faster. Do they look confused? You might need to slow down or provide more context.

By reminding your audience of the bigger picture, e.g. that we’re talking about a cute cat lying in its owner’s lap, your message is not only clearer but also more memorable. By anchoring your explanation to a simple, relatable concept, you’re providing a mental hook that your audience can use to organize and recall the more detailed information you’ll share later.

In essence, considering your audience and tailoring your message accordingly isn’t just about being polite or accommodating. It’s a strategic approach to ensure that your communication as a product leader is as effective and impactful as possible, regardless of who you’re speaking to.

Know What You Want to Say

Sometimes, the problem is much bigger. Sometimes, even you don’t know it’s a cat you’re talking about. It could be because your product is so innovative that no one has given it a name yet (if you say, “Cat,” no one knows what you mean; you have to talk about a hairy creature with pointy ears who says, “Meow”). But from my experience, you don’t know it’s a cat either (or what’s important about this creature and worth highlighting).

This happens in many deep-tech products: The details are so important that you dive deeper and deeper until you lose sight of the bigger picture. You have to stop and swim back up.

Here is a nice exercise to help you find your way:

Write everything you want to say. Use your own words, all the details you want to include, etc. Take as many pages as you need.

Read what you wrote, and then write it again. This time, limit yourself to one page.

Read the one page and then write it again. This time in a single paragraph.

From a single paragraph, move into a single sentence and then a single word.

Note that it’s important to write again, not simply to select text from the previous writing. It’s not a summary of the previous section. It’s the whole story, only shorter. Writing it from scratch is the only way to keep it complete and understand intuitively what is really important to include.

Now, of course, your presentation or document won’t be a single word or even a single paragraph. But you now know where to start and how to gradually reveal more details. You also know which details to include, and which ones are less important. Omit the less important details to keep the time boundaries and avoid confusion.

This whole thing takes time and brain cycles, but it’s one of the most important time investments you can make. Product leadership is all about communication, and it starts with knowing what is most important for you to say.