The Hidden Cost of Not Having a CPO: Why Product Strategy Can't Be an Afterthought

Most growing companies face a critical paradox: the moment you think you're "not ready" for a Chief Product Officer is precisely when you need one most. As your company scales, product complexity quickly outpaces your bandwidth, leading to misaligned roadmaps, features with weak adoption, and internal friction between teams. A great CPO doesn't just ship features—they create clarity across product strategy, execution excellence, and market intelligence. Without this leadership, decisions become reactive instead of proactive, and your business begins drifting from its north star.